‘Om’ in the Garden

We need to balance the pace and intensity of modern life
with periods of what poet May Sarton
has called “open time,
with no obligations except toward the inner world
and what is going on there.”

~ Thomas Moore

So how to touch the inner world in a garden?..

Abstract painting

I suggest chanting ‘OM.’ (really it is ‘AUM’), long and sustained, several times…“Om” is the oldest and most widely known one-syllable mantra or chant. It is said very, very slowly.

Mantras are believed to contain a vibrational power that can lift us to higher states.

Scientists recently discovered that rhythmic recitations of a mantra can slow breathing and regulate heart rhythms, this in turn oxygenates the blood, lowers blood pressure and induces a feeling of calmness and well-being.

The Sanskrit symbol above represents “OM”. It does not say ’30’ as some might assume.

The Om symbol (in photo above) consists of three letters, “a,” “u,” and “m,” and includes an after-sound of silence:

With over 40 years in landscape design and horticulture, I love to share my passion for all things 'green' with others. I teach at New York Botanical Garden and speak at various venues around the country. Check out my book, Heaven is a Garden. My design firm is Johnsen Landscapes & Pools - www.johnsenlandscapes.com

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About Jan Johnsen

Jan Johnsen is a professional landscape designer and a principal of the established design/build firm, Johnsen Landscapes & Pools, in Westchester County, NY. She was an adjunct professor at Columbia University and is an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden.

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'Heaven Is a Garden - Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection'. This beautifully photographed guide offers great ideas for making your garden a place of serenity, filled with color, water, sound and more.